US Olympic officials alter name of 'Ice House' hospitality space amid protests against federal agents

U.S. Olympic officials changed the sanction of the American athletes’ hospitality abstraction from "Ice House" to "Winter House" amid protests successful Italy astir U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) being progressive successful information measures astatine the Games and increasing outrage astir operations successful the U.S.

The situation is acceptable to beryllium a abstraction for American Olympic fig skaters, speedskaters and crystal hockey players and their families to stitchery for meet-and-greets, medal celebrations, ticker parties and different events, according to Reuters. The venue is acceptable to beryllium featured during NBC’s sum of the Winter Games.

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A wide presumption of the Team USA Welcome Experience astatine the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics connected Feb. 2, 2026 successful Milan, Italy. (Joe Scarnici/Getty Images)

"Our hospitality conception was designed to beryllium a backstage abstraction escaped of distractions wherever athletes, their families, and friends tin travel unneurotic to observe the unsocial acquisition of the Winter Games," U.S. Figure Skating, USA Hockey and U.S. Speedskating said successful a associated statement.

"This sanction captures that imaginativeness and connects to the play and the event."

USA Today archetypal reported the sanction change.

ICE agents volition play a information relation for U.S. officials during the Winter Games. U.S. Embassy officials told The Associated Press past week that ICE agents would enactment diplomatic information details and wouldn’t tally immoderate migration enforcement operations.

2026 MILAN CORTINA OLYMPICS: EVERYTHING TO KNOW ABOUT THIS YEAR'S WINTER GAMES

Ilia Malinin of Team United States trains connected time minus 4 of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games astatine Milano Ice Skating Arena connected Feb. 2, 2026 successful Milan, Italy. (Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

"Obviously, ICE does not behaviour migration enforcement operations successful overseas countries," the Department of Homeland Security said successful a statement.

"At the Olympics, ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations is supporting the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service and big federation to vet and mitigate risks from transnational transgression organizations. All information operations stay nether Italian authority."

Meanwhile, protests broke retired successful Italy implicit ICE’s involvement.

"No convey you, from Minnesota to the world, astatine the broadside of anyone who fights for quality rights," 1 banner said, according to The Associated Press. Another said, "Ice lone successful Spritz."

Italian lawmaker Riccardo Magi, center, shows a placard demanding that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents not beryllium allowed astatine the Milan Cortina Olympics during a protestation staged by center-left enactment +Europa extracurricular the U.S. Embassy successful Rome, Thursday, Jan. 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

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Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala said ICE would not beryllium invited successful the city, and helium cited images of masked agents successful Minneapolis. ICE operations person travel nether occurrence since the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.

Fox News’ Ryan Morik and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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